Metal wheel



L. S. LACHMAN.

METAL WHEEL.

APPLKCATION FILED JUNE 3. 1919 Patented May 31, 1921.

UNITED STATES P) TENT OFFICE.

LAURENCE S. LACHMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY, MESNE ASSIGNMENTS -TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANI AQA CORPORA:

TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

METAL WHEEL.

Patented May 31, 1921.

Application filed June 3, 1919. Serial No. 301,455.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, LAURENCE S. LACH' MAN, a, citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Wheels, of which the following is a specification. v

My invention relates to the construction of metallic wheels and more particularly to the construction of the hub portion and manner of securing the metallic spoke members therein.

The object of my invention is to facilitate andcheapen the construction and to produce a wheel of great strength at its hub art. p A further object is to so construct the wheel that the parts involved in the construction may be readily secured together in an electric welding machine.

My invention consists substantially of a metal hub shell perforated to form sockets for the reception of the spokes which enter and project radially inward through said perforations, combined with fastening plates bridging the spaces between the converging ends of the spokes within the shell and welded to the sides ofthe spokes to key them in place and prevent their withdrawal from the sockets, filler or closing plates being employed, if desired, to bear against the sides of the spokes within the shell and close them in, all as hereinafter more particularly described and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a construction embodying my invention. v

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 Fig. l.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified construction.

Fig. 4 shows in detail one of the fastening plates interposed between the converging ends of the metal spokes.

Fig. 5 is a modification in the form of the fastening plate.

1 indicates a metallic hub shell provided on its periphery with sockets which may be made by perforating the shell by means of a die or otherwise, the sockets thus formed being adapted to receive the ends of the spokes 2. The latter may be solid or hollow, butare, by preference, tubular in form. Said spokes project radially inward through filler plates or disks 4 with the sides of the spokeends in the finished wheel.

By the use of separate fastening plates t is obvious that a welding of all the spokes 1n the hub structure is insured even though the spoke ends may not all he precisely in the same general plane. Furthermore no special preparation of the fastening plates is required since the welding. is upon the.

edge of the sheet metal of' which the plate is composed. Furthermore the plates so employed do not interfere with bringing the inside surfaces of the strengthening filler plates against the sides of the spokes to as sist in holding them in position.

Said fastening plates may be of the form' shown in Fig. l and be provided with pro:

jections 3 adapted to facilitate the formatlon of an electrically welded joint between the fastening plates and the surface of the tubular spoke when lateral pressure is applied by means of a suitable welding die furnishing heating electric current.

To further strengthen the construction the outer peripheral edges of the plates 3 may engage or fit against the inner surface of the hub shell, although this is not necessary to theinvention.

4 indicates filler plates or disks superposed upon and preferably engaging directly the sides of the converging spoke ends and closing in the hub as shown. The parts as above assembled and secured together may be further fastened together and the structure strengthened by the use of fastening bolts passed throu h the plates 4 from side to side of the hu f). The location of these bolts is indicated by the perforations 5 in the plates 3 and through which the bolts may pass. To further complete the closure of the hub structure and to fasten the side plates in position without the use of bolts should it be desired to dispense with bolts, the edges of said plates are fastened or connected to the edges of the shell in any desired manner, as for instance, by turning over or spinning down the edge of the shell over the edge of the filler plate. Obviously one of said filler plates might be integral With the hub shell, the other being applied.

shell, perforated to form sockets for the reception of the metallic spokes of the wheel and. fastening plates having their edges welded to the sides of the spokes in the spaces between the converging ends thereof within the shell.

3. In a metallic wheel, the combination of a hub shell perforated to form sockets through which the hub ends of the metallic spokes project radially inward, a series of plates welded to said spokes across the spaces between their converging ends within the shell and a filler plate superposed on the spokes within said shell.

4. In a metallic wheel, the combination with a. hub shell having perforations to receive the spokes, metallic spokes socketed in said perforations and projecting radially therethrough and fastening plates bridging the spaces between the converging ends of said spokes and located within the generalplane of the spokes, said fastening pieces being welded by their edges to the sides of contiguous spokes.

5. In a metallic wheel, the combination with a hub shell having perforations to receive'the spokes, metallic spokes socketed in said perforations and projecting radially therethrough and fastening plates bridging the spaces between the converging ends of said spokes and located Within the general plane of the spokes, said fastening pieces being welded by their edges to the sides of contiguous spokes and. having a bearing against the inner surface of the shell.

6. In a metallic wheel, the combination with a perforated hub shell and spokes projecting radially inward through said perforations, of connecting plates each bridging the space between the converging ends of two contiguous spokes and welded to said spokes.

7. In a metallic wheel, the combination with a perforated hub shell and spokes projectlng radially inward through said perforations, of connecting plates each bridging the space between the converging; ends of two contiguous spokes and welded to said spokes and filler or cl'osingplat'es bearing against the sides of the spokes within said shell, said closing plates beingfconnected at their edges to theedges ofsaidhub Shelli 8. In a metallic wheel, the combination of a perforated hub shell, metallic spokemeinbers projecting radially inward through said' perforations, a series of fastening or connecting plates each bridging the spaces be tween two contiguous spokes within said shell and welded thereto and side filler plates embracing the spoke ends'within said shell and connected at their edges to the edges of the shell.

9. In a metallic wheel, the combination of" LAURENCE S. LAGHMAN.

Witnesses:

F. B. TOWNSEND, IRENE LEFKowrrz. 

